Rotary valve for internal-combustion engines.



G. R. SMITH.

ROTARY VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSHON ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED JAN.23. 1913.

1,16,572. Patented Ja n. 18, 1916.

it 3 m amea are GLENN B. SMITH, 0F LOS rlNGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF 1 0 NELZLIE B. SMITH, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AND ONE-HALF T0 BUSSEL F. GRENFELL,

OF SAN DIEGQ, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY VAIUVE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented Jan. 13, dglfi.

Application filed January 23, 1913. Serial No. 743,778.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, GLENN R. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Valves for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rotary valves for internal combustion engines, and the invention has for its object to provide, improvements in valves of the type or character stated which will be superior in point of simplicity andinexpensiveness of construction and organization, durability or length oflife, vcapability of long service without attention or repair or regrinding; positiveness and accuracy in operation, and which will be generally superior in efficiency and serviceability.

The invention relates particularly to rotary valves having a plurality of valve members which are co-acting, or interacting, the members being provided each with an exhaust port and an inlet port, means be ing provided for operatively actuating the valve members to bring the exhaust ports and the inlet ports alternately into registra tion with a suitable exhaust for the cylinder and a suitable inlet for the cylinder. The valve members are preferably conical or of truncated conical formation and coaxially arranged and have their working axes preferably at one end of the cylinder and arranged at right angles to the longitudinal axis of thd'cylindcr.

Further particular objects of the invention contemplate the provision of such double acting alves which will be quick opening and quick closing with respect to the exhaust and inlet ports and in which the exhaust will traverse the valve members, properly confined, to pre-heat the incoming charge of gaseous explosive mixture and the provision incident to the general construction-"which will serve to agitate and thoroughly mix such incoming charge prior to its introduction to the cylinder.

Other objects concern the provision of valve members which will be positively seated, or, in the coaxial arrangement, nested one within the other, and both or all within the valve chamber, an incidental result be ing the cltective prevention of valve smutting; I am also able to provide for large port area, the oppositerotation of the valve members contributing to such possibility, without enlarging the period of open condition of either the exhaust or inlet. In the use of my improved valve, the pressure medlllm is thoroughly distributed and is pre vented from confinement to local streams, and the perfect balance obtained inthe operat ve conditions insures noiselessness' of operation. The prompt and complete accommodation of the exhaust gases elimi natesthe resistance on back pressure upon the piston during the exhaust stroke, high ef'ficiency being 'thus obtained. ihe improved valve means may be readily taken apart for purposes of repair, and access may be had to the working parts without the necessity of extensive taking down of the parts of the engine. A

With the above and other objects in view, and the above substitute and equivalent means entering into the construction and organization of an embodiment of the same, the invention consists in the novel and useful formation, construction, relative. arrangement and organization of parts, members and features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawings and finally pointed out in claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is atragmentary longitudinal central sectional view of a portion of an internal combustion motor provided with valve means constructed and organized in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of members of the valve means in detached positions, and each partially separat'd from the other; Fig. 3 is a tragmentary'elevation' of drive means for the valve means looking in the direction of the arrow at the right hand side of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the valve members taken upon the line a2 .-m*, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, taken upon=the line oa -m Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows. I

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring with particularity to the draw- A designates the cylinder of an internal combustion motor of which B designates the piston, the piston being shown at the charge-receiving and charge-compressing end of the cylinder, at which end likewise is installed the improved valve means. 0,

organized to embody' the invention; D des-.

ignating drive means or actuating means for the valve means C. Such valve means comprise a plurality of members, of which 'two, and d, are shown in the drawing,

such valve members being preferably hollow and of truncated conical formation, and installed coaxially with the smaller mem- I ber (l housed within the larger member 0.

The, member (Z, provided with a rotatable exhaust port 4 and a rotatable inlet port 5,

respectively formed adjacent to the larger and-smaller ends of the member; and the member 0 is-provided with a rotatable exhaust port 6 and a rotatable inlet port 7,

respectively formed adjacent to the larger and smaller ends of the member. The ports are so formed andinter-related or relatively spaced, in the two valve members, that when the ports 4 and 6 main registration they both register with an exhaustpassage 8 at the end of the cylinder A, exhaust being through an exhaust duct 9 which ranges through the valve member (5 concentrically therewith and is curved downwardly at one terminus to communicate with the exhaust port 4, the other terminus communicating with the normal atmosphere either directly or through any preferred form of exhaust pipe, not shown, which may readily be attached to register with the duct 9 at 10.

Furthermore, likewise, the inletports 5 and 7 are out of registration when the exhaust ports a and 6 are in the positions last stated; and when the inlet ports 5 and 7 are in registration with an inlet passage 11 at the end of the cylinder, the exhaust ports 4: and 6 have passed out of the registering positions, by rotation, such exhaust portregistration belng timed to transpire just prior to the registering of the inlet portswith the inlet passage.

The valves are adapted to be used with motors of the four stroke-cycle type, callin for two complete excursions of the piston for one intake, compression, firing and scavenging; the inner endof vthe member cl, otherwise closed, is preferably perforated, slotted or otherwise open in part, as at 12, communicating with the chamber within a bell-shaped spider 13 carrying the member a, through which in turn passes a coaxial shaft 14 included within the drive means D; an inlet chamber 15 being provided around the spider 13 through which spider the charge passes to the interior of the member d, a passage or v duct 5 being provided therein exteriorly of the exhaust duct 9, whence the charge passes to the inlet port 5 .and through the inlet port 7 to the inlet passage 11. The

spider 13 is journaledo in the wall of the nieasra chamber 15, as a-t l6, and the shaft 14, journaled in the spider 13, as at 17. The outer valve member C, within which thesmaller valve member d is rotatably mourrted,is.v

housed Within a valve casing 18, which rnay be water jacketed,and is mounted upon the end of the cylinder. The drive means 13,14:

addition to. the shaft 1'4, comprises spiral. gears 19-and 20' respectively keyed upon the spider l3 and the [shaft 14, and other spiral gears 21 and 22 .respectiyely mesh 7 with the first named spiral gears. and keyed upon the shafts 23 and 245' respectively, which are operated in step by spur gears. 25 and 26 respectively upon the shafts 23 and :24, one of said shafts 23 being directly driven by a chain'drive- 27 operatedby the engine. t r

1t willhe understood th rbthefgears 19 and 20 serve to continuously rotate the spider 13 and the valve member 0, and the shaft 14 and the valve member 0?, respectively, in opposite directions, s'o'that the inlet ports, 5 and 7 and the outlet ports 4- and 6 are properly timed to produce the proper sequences of admission and exhaust, as

above stated. The charge or pressure medium taken in through the inlet chamber 15 is whirled. and agitated and thoroughly mixed by the rotatingarms of'the spider 13, and theopposite'rotating perforated end of the valve member d. Theiparticular formation of this spider and of the ,perfo rated or partly open end of the member (l may be varied in accordance with preference. The charge or pressure medium then enters the member d, where it is .pre-heated or re-heated, and in this condition fed to the cylinder to and through the inlet passage 11. haust pipe 9 produces this re-heating effect upon the charge or medium as it traverses the inner valve member (2. It will be noted that the timing of the valve members may be accurately predetermined and maintained, and the other objects of the invention initially pointed out, will be found to The exhaust traversing the exflow from practice of the invention'and' provided with an inlet port and an exhaust port, the inlet ports being adapted to jointly register with an inlet passage to the cylinder, and the exhaustports to jointly register with an exhaust passage from the cylinder; means for admitting pressure medium to one end of the innertmember, and means for oppositely rotating-both said members; said outer member being provided with a rotating spider upon which such member is mounted, and said inner member being provided with a shaft journaled in said spider and upon which such inner member is mounted.

2. An engine provided with valve means comprising two truncated conical coaxially arranged valve members, each of which is provided with an inlet port and an exhaust port, the inlet ports being adapted to jointly register with an inlet passage to the cylinder, and the exhaust ports to jointly register with an exhaust passage from the cylinder; means for admitting pressure medium to one end of the inner member, and means for oppositely rotating both said members; said outer member being providedwith a rotating spider upon which such member is mounted, and said inner member being provided with a shaft ournaled n said spider and upon which such inner mem exhaust ports being adapted to register with each other and the inlet ports being adapted to register with each other in proper sequence and to respectively register with exhaust and inlet passages from and to the cylinder, a pressure medium inlet chamber, a spider journaled in the same and carrying one valve member, a shaft journaled in the spider and carrying another valve member. said last named valve member being perforated at one end, and means for oppositely rotating the spider and the shaft.

4. An engine provided at one end with a valve casing, coaxial valve members rotatably mounted in the casing and provided each with an exhaust port and an inlet port, the exhaust ports being adapted to register with each other and the inlet ports being adapted to register with each other in proper sequence and to respectively register with exhaust and inletpassages from and to the cylinder, a pressure medium inlet chamber, a spider journaled in the same and carrying one valve member, a shaft journaled in the spider and carrying another valve member, said last named valve member being perforated at one end, and means for oppositely rotating the spider and the shaft; there be ing an exhaust pipe Within the latter valve member and adapted to register with said exhaust ports.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GLENN R. SMITH.

Witnesses: I

RAYMOND J. BLAKEWELL, ALFRED H. DAEHLE. 

